U.S. Marines stood by to help evacuate Americans in South Sudan as the top U.N. official there warned Tuesday of a "breakdown in respect for the most basic rights of people" amid the country's widening military and humanitarian crisis.
U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Toby Lanzer tweeted that more accounts were reaching him of human rights abuses amid widening violence that has stoked fears of an all-out civil war in the world's newest country.
In Geneva, Switzerland, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called human rights abuses in the country a "serious and growing" problem.
In Geneva, Switzerland, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called human rights abuses in the country a "serious and growing" problem.
"Mass extrajudicial killings, the targeting of individuals on the basis of their ethnicity and arbitrary detentions have been documented in recent days," Pillay said, according to the statement. "We have discovered a mass grave in Bentiu, in Unity State, and there are reportedly at least two other mass graves in Juba."
But the broad nature of this conflict and the intensity of the violence -- which U.N. officials say has taken on ethnic overtones -- has raised fears of another genocide along the lines of Rwanda, the African nation where 800,000 people were slaughtered in 1994, according to the United Nations.
http://www.stripes.com/news/us-moving-forces-in-response-to-south-sudan-violence-1.258914In a statement, the U.S. military's Africa Command said Monday it was positioning the Marines to be able to respond should conditions deteriorate even more. The decision grew out of the U.S. experience in Benghazi, Libya, where an attack last year killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. No U.S. forces were close enough to respond quickly.
Although defense officials said the U.S. military footprint in Juba could be increased rapidly if necessary, experts said they did not see that happening, at least as part of any military operation extending beyond evacuation efforts.
“I would say that is extremely unlikely,” said Jason Mosely, a regional expert at the London-based Chatham House think tank.
AFRICOM also said its East Africa Response Force’s role is limited: provide security reinforcement to the U.S. Embassy in South Sudan as part of a State Department request for assistance with ”an ordered departure of Embassy personnel,” Benson said in a statement Monday. “U.S. military personnel have been dispatched only to support U.S. Embassy operations.”
The current situation in South Sudan is marked by ongoing conflict and violence, particularly in the form of human rights abuses. This has been exacerbated by political tensions and ethnic divisions within the country.
Some of the most commonly reported abuses in the South Sudan conflict include sexual violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, killings, and forced displacement. These abuses are often carried out by both government forces and rebel groups.
The ongoing conflict in South Sudan has been fueled by a number of factors, including political power struggles, ethnic tensions, and competition over resources. Additionally, the lack of a strong rule of law and accountability mechanisms has allowed for abuses to continue unchecked.
International organizations such as the United Nations have condemned the human rights abuses in South Sudan and have called for an end to the violence. They have also provided humanitarian aid and support to those affected by the conflict.
Addressing the root causes of the conflict, such as political and economic grievances, is crucial in preventing further abuses in South Sudan. Additionally, strengthening the rule of law and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions can help deter future abuses. International support and pressure, as well as promoting reconciliation and dialogue among different groups, can also play a role in addressing the issue of abuses in South Sudan.